Walt Garrison dead: Former Cowboys FB dies at 79, cause of death unknown

The Dallas Cowboys' Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers has just taken a poignant twist with the recent death of Walt Garrison.

The former fullback passed away on October 11 at the age of 79. No cause of death was revealed.

Selected 79th in the NFL Draft by the Cowboys and 151st in the AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Oklahoma State in 1966, Garrison committed to the former team and initially mainly served in special teams. With the retirement of Don Perkins after 1968-69, he was elevated to starter, forming a formidable duo with Calvin Hill, which later became a trio with the addition of Duane Thomas in 1970.

Together, the three brought the Cowboys all the way to Super Bowl V, where they would lose 13-16 to the Baltimore Colts. They would return the next season for a run to Super Bowl VI and finally win, defeating the Miami Dolphins 24-3.

Garrison had his best showing in 1972, reaching the Pro Bowl after tallying 784 rushing yards and a touchdown despite wounding himself while carving wood. Nerve problems hampered him in 1973, but he returned in time for the playoffs.

By his retirement after 1974-75, he had amassed 3,886 rushing yards and 1,794 receiving yards - good for third and fourth on the all-time list, respectively.

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Walt Garrison funeral details

No details about Walt Garrison's funeral are available yet, but this page will be updated if they are revealed.

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Walt Garrison net worth

By the time he died, Walt Garrison was worth $5 million.

One peculiarity about him was that besides playing football, he was also an avid rodeo rider, participating in events during the offseason and possibly earning as much from that has he did in football. In their obituary piece on him, the Dallas Cowboys mentioned it at various points.

However, rodeoing also took a considerable toll on Garrison's well-being. After sustaining a facial gash in 1973 (the same year as his nerve problems), he injured his knee during a steer wrestling show in 1975, ending his football career. He was only 30 years old at the time.